Charge(s) & Bond Information

Information about an arrestee's charge(s) and bond is available online through our Arrest Inquiry Database. You can also call (954) 831-5900 or visit the information window, which is open 24-hours-a-day, located in the lobby of BSO's Main Jail.

How do I bond someone out of jail?

Post a CASH BOND through any of the following methods:

In person at the Main Jail Facility located at 555 S.E, 1st Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301. No personal checks or personal money orders will be accepted.

No service fees to post the cash bond in person will apply.

In person at a Western Union Agent location or by calling 1-800-634-3422 or online at www.westernunion.com.

Make sure you include the following information when completing the Blue Quick Collect Send Form:

Make sure to have the inmate's information ready before proceeding to www.GovPayNow.com. This information is available through our Arrest Inquiry Database on the Sheriff's Office website.

The defendant's name

The defendant's Arrest/CIS number

The Date of Birth (Optional)

A service fee will apply.

By phone at 1-877-EZBAIL5 (1-877-392-2455)

A service fee will apply.

Post a SURETY BOND through a licensed surety bond agent ("bondsman"). Most often, a bondsman will charge a percentage of the bond as a fee for posting the bond. A list of local bondsmen is available in your local directory and is also posted in the Visitor's Lobby of the Main Jail.

How do I get a refund for a Cash Bond:

Cash Bonds are refundable upon completion of the case, a Disposition Order is issued by the court or thirty six (36) months from the date of the Bond, which ever comes first.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR OBTAINING A BOND REFUND

AS PER FL. STATUTE 903.31, BONDS EXPIRE AFTER 36 MONTHS OF THE POSTING DATE

THE MONEY FOR THE BOND WILL BE REFUNDED ONLY TO THE DEPOSITOR, unless it is formally assigned to another person.

In order to obtain a bond refund, the Cash Bond office requires the following documentation:

The Original blue bond receipt or a certified copy. (If a certified copy is being used, a lost bond form must be filled out and attached)

The Original or Certified Copy of the court disposition obtained from the Clerk in the courtroom. This form describes the outcome of the case, including any fines and court costs which the defendant may be assessed. Certified copies of court dispositions are also accepted.

A picture identification such as:

A current Driver's License
Passport
State Identification.

If assigning the bond to another person, the Broward Sheriff's Office Assignment form is obtainable at the Cash Bond Unit. The form must be signed by the depositor, in the presence of a Notary Public.

Certified copies of Bond Receipt and Court dispositions may be obtained from the Clerk of the Court's office at 201 South East 6 Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301.

FOR ALL REFUNDS, A CHECK WILL BE MAILED WITHIN 2-3 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER YOU PRESENT YOUR PAPERWORK

Will I receive the full amount of the cash bond when it is refunded?

F.S. 903.286 requires the Clerk of the Court to withhold from the return of a cash bond posted on behalf of a criminal defendant by a person other than a bail bond agent, sufficient funds to pay any unpaid court fees, court costs, and criminal penalties. This means that if the defendant for whom you are posting bond owes costs and penalties, those fees will be taken out of the bond money you posted. You may receive only a portion or none of the posted bond money even though the defendant makes all timely court appearances.

F.S. 903.26(2)(b) states that if a defendant fails to appear at the time, date and place of required appearance, the bond money will be forfeited.

Intake & Release Process

Individuals who have been placed under arrest are first transported to Broward Sheriff's Office Central Intake Bureau, which is located at the Main Jail in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Upon arrival, they must complete the following steps:

Property Intake

Medical Screening

Fingerprinting

Photographing

Warrants Check

While the staff at Central Intake Bureau is dedicated to ensuring the prompt processing and release of eligible arrestees, the amount of time required to complete this process may be affected by the volume of arrestees being processed simultaneously and/or the availability of information from state and national databases.

Appearance in Magistrate Court

Arrestees who are not bonded out of jail appear before a magistrate judge the day following the arrest (including Saturdays and Sundays). Proceedings usually begin at 8 a.m., however this depends upon the presiding judge. The judge will inform the arrestee of the charge(s) and, if appropriate, will set a bond amount.

In misdemeanor cases, the judge may accept a guilty plea and release the arrestee on his or her own recognizance or for time-served.

Magistrate proceedings may be viewed on the monitor located in the lobby of BSO's Main Jail.

Housing Assignments

Individuals who are not released on bond are assigned to one of four BSO jails based upon objective criteria. This criteria ensures that inmates are housed in the least restrictive and safest unit possible based upon level of security required. Housing assignments are not made based on proximity to an inmate's home, but rather on the premise of assigning an inmate to the jail facility that can best meet his or her needs.

Inmate Activities, Services & Programs

Inmates are permitted to watch television and are provided with reading material to occupy free time. Weather permitting, inmates may also take part in outside recreation and use exercise equipment.

BSO's Department of Detention & Community Programs provides a variety of programs and services to inmates, including:

Adult Basic Education

AIDS Awareness Training

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Anger Management Program

Cocaine Anonymous

Commissary

GED Preparation & Testing

Group Therapy

Juvenile Programs

Library Services

Medical Services

Mental Health Counseling

Narcotics Anonymous (NA)

Parenting Skills

Pre-Release Planning

Prevention & Intervention Program Against Drugs & Alcohol

Relapse Prevention Program

Religious Services & Counseling

Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Training

Substance Abuse Treatment

Veterans Group

Work Release Programs

Additional information about these programs is available from detention deputies within the facility.

Release of Inmate Property

Inmate property can be released to family or friends after an inmate completes a property voucher specifying the intended recipient. Property may be picked up between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., seven-days-a-week, at the BSO jail facility where the inmate is housed. A government-issued photo ID is required to receive the property.

Visiting Rules & Regulations

Visiting hours are restricted to specific times for specific areas in each jail facility. For detailed information, consult the inmate visiting schedule for each of the jail facilities operated by BSO.

Accommodations are made for one 2-hour visit per inmate per week. Visiting days and hours vary according to the BSO jail facility. Inmates are informed of visiting days and hours and are responsible for relaying this information to those who wish to visit them.

Due to limited visiting space, only two adults or one minor supervised by a parent or guardian may visit during the weekly visiting period.

Government-issued photo identification, such as a driver's license, military identification, passport or state-issued ID card, must be presented by each adult visitor. Visitors who do not have proper identification will not be permitted to visit.

Visitors must be appropriately dressed. Shoes, shirts and appropriate underclothing must be worn. Visitors wearing suggestive clothing, transparent fabric, short-shorts or mini-skirts will not be permitted to visit.

Visitors under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who must present either a birth certificate or court documentation showing appointment of legal guardianship. Minors must be supervised at all times by the parent or legal guardian.

Visitors must remain in the assigned visiting room/area during the visit and will be denied further visitation if determined to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

If you are having trouble receiving calls from an inmate at any Broward County Detention Facility, would like to request a BLOCK or UNBLOCK on your phone, or have a question about how to setup a DIRECT BILL or PREPAID account, please contact Securus Technologies at 1-877-800-5729 or online at securustech.net.

Care Packs

Care Packs may be purchased with cash through kiosks located in BSO jail facility lobbies (Conte, Paul Rein, Main Jail, or North Broward). No change will be made through the kiosks. Care Pack purchase is restricted to one (1) care pack per recipient per week. Order cycle is based on when the order is placed, NOT received.

Toll free number: 1-866-643-9557

Depositing Funds to Inmate Accounts

Inmates are permitted to receive funds for deposit to their commissary accounts. However, you should wait until an inmate has received a permanent housing assignment, and is transferred to that housing unit, before sending money.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

CHANGE IN DEPOSIT ACCEPTANCE POLICY

Effective Friday, September 9th, 2016 Family and Friends will no longer be able to make Credit Card deposits at SmartDeposit.com

Family and Friends will be able to make deposits to at any of four (4) locations listed below using the Lobby Kiosks. These deposits will be Cash only.

Money orders

Cash deposits

Cash deposits to inmate accounts ARE NOT accepted by mail. Cash may be deposited to inmate commissary accounts through kiosks located in BSO jail facility lobbies (Conte, Paul Rein, Main Jail, or North Broward). Cash deposited will be available to an inmate thirty-minutes following the deposit. Cash deposit is accepted seven (7) days a week. No change will be made through the kiosks.

Depositors must present the name and arrest number of the inmate and the exact cash amount to be deposited.

Inmate Health Services

Medical issues only. For information on the status of a sick or injured inmate click here):

Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.